Coolsculpting vs Liposuction

CoolSculpting or Liposuction: Which is Better?

Liposuction has long been a treatment of choice for thousands of patients looking to reduce unwanted fat pockets from their body. CoolSculpting, on the other hand, is a relatively newer procedure and many people are still unclear about how it differs from traditional liposuction. CoolSculpting is fundamentally distinct from liposuction because it uses a completely different and revolutionary approach to fat reduction. While liposuction involves invasive treatment, CoolSculpting is aimed at achieving the same results without subjecting the patient to an invasive procedure.

Patients who are looking for immediate and dramatic results, and do not mind undergoing an invasive procedure, may still choose to open the door to liposuction. Depending on the needs and goals of the patient, the physician will advise the most appropriate treatment options in each case. An experienced specialist will explain the advantages of both CoolSculpting and liposuction to the patient, and a final decision will be made in consultation with the patient, while also looking at the patient’s health condition and other factors.

Key Difference

While both treatments have the same goal of fat reduction, the fundamental difference between CoolSculpting and liposuction lies in the treatment approach and the degree of invasiveness involved. CoolSculpting is a completely non-surgical, non-invasive procedure, which makes it more suited for patients who wish to avoid invasive cosmetic treatments but without having to compromise on the effectiveness of the procedure.

CoolSculpting makes use of a unique cooling process to freeze away unwanted fat cells in the body’s fat pockets. The fat cells gradually die and become eliminated from the body in a natural way. The treatment avoids any collateral damage to the surrounding healthy tissue, involves little or no downtime, and does not carry the risks that are typical to any surgical procedure.

Liposuction procedure, as compared to CoolSculpting, adopts a traditional, invasive approach to fat reduction. It is a more complex procedure and should ideally be performed only by a qualified cosmetic surgeon. The patient must be agreeable to undergo local anesthesia for this treatment. Since liposuction is an invasive procedure, it involves certain amount of downtime, depending on the extent of treatment performed. Liposuction has the usual risks that are associated with any minor surgery.

Different Techniques

The liposuction procedure begins with one or more incisions made by the operating doctor in the targeted areas. A cannual is then inserted through the incisions, and fat cells are disintegrated and sucked out through the cannula. The treatment is effective for people with stable weight, who are not looking for weight loss, but for reduction of fat deposits from targeted areas of the body. Sometimes the surgeon may decide to split the procedure over two days, if a larger amount of fat needs to be removed from various parts of the body.

CoolSculpting, on the other hand, does not involve any incision, injection, or any other surgical intrusion. The treatment is performed non-invasively, using an applicator to deliver focused cooling to the fat cells in the targeted area. Once the fat cells are frozen, they gradually begin to disintegrate. As a result, they start getting removed from the body system in a natural manner. The patient can start seeing results within a few weeks, and improvement will continue to happen for up to three to six months.